Australian relief workers arrive in Turkey as quake death toll passes 37,000

Australian relief workers have surveyed collapsed buildings and homes reduced to rubble as they prepare to relieve weary crews in a Turkish city devastated by a massive earthquake.

The federal government’s Disaster Relief Response Team has established a base in Antakya, in Hatay province, and is awaiting directions on where to focus its initial post-earthquake search and rescue efforts.

The 72-strong team, made up mostly of specialist NSW firefighters, flew into the country on Sunday.

They took state-of-the-art technical equipment to help search for survivors of the 7.8-magnitude Feb. 6 quake.

A 72-strong team of Australian relief workers flew to Antakya, Turkey, on Sunday (pictured, Australian relief workers are searching after the February 6 earthquake).

A 72-strong team of Australian relief workers (above) flew to Antakya after two earthquakes devastated the region on February 6

Footage released by the Foreign Office on Tuesday (Australian time) showed crew examining buildings being reduced to rubble, including those where crashed cars were meters above the ground.

The city was among the hardest hit by the country’s worst earthquake in modern history, which claimed more than 37,000 lives – including three Australians, in southern Turkey and northern Syria.

Some Polish rescuers will leave the country on Wednesday as low temperatures cloud an already slim chance of survival, but the Australian crew is hoping to repeat Monday’s rescue of two women and two children in Antakya.

Australians’ telescopic cameras and seismic detection equipment can detect faint movement of survivors trapped underground.

Australian crew workers (above) examining buildings turned to rubble, including those holding smashed cars feet off the ground

Antakya (above) was hit hardest by the country’s worst earthquake in modern history, which claimed more than 37,000 lives

Australian aid also brought state-of-the-art technical equipment (above) to help search for survivors of the 7.8 magnitude quake on February 6

“The rescue equipment also includes a large quantity of tools including jackhammers, drills, metal cutters, heavy lifting, chainsaws for cutting concrete and rope systems,” Fire and Rescue NSW said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The Australian contingent will work around the clock on 12-hour rotations, relieving exhausted international crews already deployed under the United Nations.”

The team landed in the city of Adana on Sunday evening before being transferred to Antakya.

The search and rescuers walked the city streets and surveyed the widespread destruction.

“Australians have carried their own food rations, water purification, first aid kits and tents and created a completely self-sufficient base camp to avoid impacting local communities and authorities,” Fire and Rescue NSW said.

Team leader, Chief Superintendent Darryl Dunbar, is expected to address reporters in Antakya Tuesday night.

The team of aid workers landed in the city of Adana on Sunday night before being transferred to Antakya (an Australian aid worker pictured).

The leader of Australia’s relief team (above), Chief Superintendent Darryl Dunbar, is expected to address reporters in Antakya on Tuesday night

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk